6 ms·

Doctorow, How to Destroy the Book

SlyShy 17y ago
The publishing industry needs to change, and it should take Steam as its example. The way I see it, the economics of publishing are entirely backwards right now. A creative producer, who wishes to distribute their goods to the masses, should look for a distributer in a competitive market. The current system is that the distributer looks for creative producers, and filters out lots of artists that it doesn't think will be successful. This is as absurd as a trucking company looking to nurture manufacturing businesses so it has more things to ship. Let's consider the issue of pirating. It's not a false dichotomy to state there are two kinds of pirates. The kind that can afford the item they are pirating, and the kind that can't. If someone pirates an item because they can't afford it, the producer isn't losing any potential income, because the pirate has none to give regardless. Stamping down on this kind of piracy is pointless. If someone pirates an item they can afford, however, then you've got problems. What this indicates is that someone found pirating to be more convenient than the legal way of buying the item. Would people really buy more items instead of pirating them if it was more convenient and pleasant to buy the item legally? Steam certainly indicates so. Take a look at the thousands of Reddit comments on steam. One of the remarkable themes that emerges from those comments is this kind, "Downloaded this from Steam, even though I already own the CDs, because I didn't feel like looking for them" or "Bought it on Steam after I torrented it". (If you don't believe me, seriously, look for youself. Also note that Reddit users are basically the demographic of people who pirate out of convenience.) What this indicates is that traditional publishing as done in the film, book, or game industries haven't been keeping pace with the consumer's desire for convenience. You can blame an uncompetitive market for that. If creative producers were able to select from a gamut of publishing companies and evaluate cost versus effectiveness of sales, etc., then publishers would be forced to innovate. And also to offer better deals to artists. Of course, the established industry is resistent to change, which is why we are getting all of this DRM. They are approaching the problem of downloading for convenience in exactly the wrong way. Instead of trying to make purchasing games, music, movies, and books more convenient (like Steam has done with games) they are trying to make pirating less convenient. Guess which approach would be more efficient, but would actually take some thought and overhaul of the current system? Amazon is moving in the right direction with the Kindle.
- graywh 17y ago
  I wouldn't say "Amazon is moving in the right direction with the Kindle"--even Cory wouldn't buy one--but it's at least a start. http://www.boingboing.net/2007/11/20/amazon-kindle-the-we.html http://www.boingboing.net/2007/11/20/amazon-kindle-the-we.ht...
  - SlyShy 17y ago
    Certainly in terms of the DRM and licensing issues the Kindle is a step backwards, but it is an attempt to make purchasing books more convenient. As a lifelong bibliophile, I'm still waiting for something better to come along.
- mlLK 17y ago
  Still though, the shitty thing with Steam (or why Valve is so evil) is the fact that the customer can not act as a reseller if he/she is either unsatisfied with the game or is just tired of playing it. I don't really know what sort of model (subscription?) Steam has implemented here, but it appears very monopolistic and evil given the PC gaming market. http://www.digitalruin.net/node/55 http://www.digitalruin.net/node/55
  - ElliotH 17y ago
    But on the other hand you do get some advantages in return for that sacrifice of your 'reseller' right. For example, the ability to use your game wherever you want, however many times you reinstall or whatever. Theres a real risk Valve or any company that controls your software could go bust - and then you'd be in trouble, but in my opinion Valve is more trustworthy than, for example, EA - since you can at least redownload your software and use it more than some fixed number of times.
    - steveklabnik 17y ago
      Valve has also stated that in this situation, they'll release the keys to the Steam servers.
  - 17y ago
GavinB 17y ago
DRM isn't the main issue. Most book readers don't know or care about it particularly. Yes, eventually ownership products should be DRM-free, but raging about it from a moralistic standpoint isn't helping with the key issues. We need affordable, high quality readers with convenient, low priced books. DRM-free would be great, but if some DRM lets the transition happen more quickly, then so be it. Hulu, Steam, etc all show that DRM can be useful and create compelling products. I would also remind all web startup founders that the SaaS model is basically DRM. One of the major benefits of server-side code is that it is very hard to pirate. You don't "own" your instance of Basecamp, you just rent it. And there's nothing wrong with that.
- tentonova 17y ago
  You don't "own" your instance of Basecamp, you just rent it. And there's nothing wrong with that. Some might disagree. Personally I find SaaS to be a general business imposition with significant long-term costs in terms of lock-in, operational expenditure, and an inherently poor negotiating position with the vendor. I dislike required service contracts or yearly per-head licensing fees for the same reason. With more openly licensed software, a key differentiator is that we can choose to continue to use a previous version of the software, whereas if we cease paying for a service, we must migrate all operations, data, and training.
- stcredzero 17y ago
  the SaaS model is basically DRM. How is that DRM? With DRM, you have the machine in your hands, and yet you can't do what you want with it. If you don't have the machine, didn't pony up any money for it, then I don't see that you have a right to complain. Bits are not hardware, and hardware is not bits.
  - GavinB 17y ago
    We're talking about audio files, ebooks, and software--it's all bits. The difference is just on whose drive the bits reside. "Digital rights management (DRM) is a generic term for access control technologies that can be used by hardware manufacturers, publishers, copyright holders and individuals to try to impose limitations on the usage of digital content and devices." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_rights_management http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_rights_management) The current best way to control access to software is to run some key components on the server side in the SaaS model. From a business perspective, it accomplishes the goals of DRM beautifully--because the DRM naturally flows from its purpose and structure.
motters 17y ago
I just bought my first electronic book recently in PDF format, without any DRM. As a "book person" I might consider getting an ebook reader at some point in the future, provided that the copyright/licensing issues are clarified and nobody is restricting what files I add or remove from the device. Retailers or publishers should not be able to remove or modify books on an ebook reader without the permission of the owner of the device/books. Personally I wouldn't knowingly purchase anything which contained DRM, although I realize that probably most consumers aren't as hardcore on these issues as I am.
flatline 17y ago
Many people - probably most - don't care. My wife buys new pop fiction hardbacks and gives them away when done reading them, she doesn't want to have the burden of the book to store somewhere or lug around. She used to throw them in the trash until I yelled at her about it and we gave a bunch to the library. The goal is to read the material cheaply and conveniently, not to own a copy of the material.
- lukifer 17y ago
  For some, it's the exact opposite: buying a copy of something you've already read, in order to lend it out or display it on your bookshelf. http://www.randsinrepose.com/archives/2009/08/08/the_book_stalker.html http://www.randsinrepose.com/archives/2009/08/08/the_book_st...
  - Semiapies 17y ago
    This is why the focus on One True Model (book ownership or license rights) strikes me as a red herring.
dmoney 17y ago
I recommend reading the full speech: http://thevarsity.ca/articles/23855 http://thevarsity.ca/articles/23855
pragmatic 17y ago
My books/games are available for re-download anytime/anyplace. I can't lose my books/game disks. Half price products. (I can buy it again if I need to). I don't understand the problem. DRM == strawman?
- oiuytgfhj 17y ago
  Anytime? Or until your kindle breaks, or Amazon decide to stop offering the service. or your ebook supplier gets bought by a competitor and discontinues your device. Or they decide to introduce a new fee structure that you don't want to pay? Anybody notice any small print in their contracts where Amazon offer free, eternal downloads of books to any future device
pragmatic 17y ago
Another strawman, lending books. I've found over and over again that a book that I loan to someone, or one that someone loans to me, remains unread. Same with games. The game is changing under your nose. Major titles and books for cheap prices. Consumers win big. The practical result is that all producers of creative content are in a race to zero. I considered building an indy flash/silverlight game recently. But if you can get great AAA games for $5, how on earth can you compete with that.
pragmatic 17y ago
The Kindle supports small independent publishers: https://dtp.amazon.com/mn/signin https://dtp.amazon.com/mn/signin
pragmatic 17y ago
With the concern over carbon, isn't digital delivery of goods a win/win?
- oiuytgfhj 17y ago
  Not if it includes digital 'taking back' of goods you thought you owned - when your dealer decides to get out of the market, or change their business plan or you don't want to sign up for their next offering.

The publishing industry needs to change, and it should take Steam as its example. The way I see it, the economics of publishing are entirely backwards right now. A creative producer, who wishes to distribute their goods to the masses, should look for a distributer in a competitive market. The current system is that the distributer looks for creative producers, and filters out lots of artists that it doesn't think will be successful. This is as absurd as a trucking company looking to nurture manufacturing businesses so it has more things to ship. Let's consider the issue of pirating. It's not a false dichotomy to state there are two kinds of pirates. The kind that can afford the item they are pirating, and the kind that can't. If someone pirates an item because they can't afford it, the producer isn't losing any potential income, because the pirate has none to give regardless. Stamping down on this kind of piracy is pointless. If someone pirates an item they can afford, however, then you've got problems. What this indicates is that someone found pirating to be more convenient than the legal way of buying the item. Would people really buy more items instead of pirating them if it was more convenient and pleasant to buy the item legally? Steam certainly indicates so. Take a look at the thousands of Reddit comments on steam. One of the remarkable themes that emerges from those comments is this kind, "Downloaded this from Steam, even though I already own the CDs, because I didn't feel like looking for them" or "Bought it on Steam after I torrented it". (If you don't believe me, seriously, look for youself. Also note that Reddit users are basically the demographic of people who pirate out of convenience.) What this indicates is that traditional publishing as done in the film, book, or game industries haven't been keeping pace with the consumer's desire for convenience. You can blame an uncompetitive market for that. If creative producers were able to select from a gamut of publishing companies and evaluate cost versus effectiveness of sales, etc., then publishers would be forced to innovate. And also to offer better deals to artists. Of course, the established industry is resistent to change, which is why we are getting all of this DRM. They are approaching the problem of downloading for convenience in exactly the wrong way. Instead of trying to make purchasing games, music, movies, and books more convenient (like Steam has done with games) they are trying to make pirating less convenient. Guess which approach would be more efficient, but would actually take some thought and overhaul of the current system? Amazon is moving in the right direction with the Kindle.

graywh 17y ago
I wouldn't say "Amazon is moving in the right direction with the Kindle"--even Cory wouldn't buy one--but it's at least a start. http://www.boingboing.net/2007/11/20/amazon-kindle-the-we.html http://www.boingboing.net/2007/11/20/amazon-kindle-the-we.ht...
- SlyShy 17y ago
  Certainly in terms of the DRM and licensing issues the Kindle is a step backwards, but it is an attempt to make purchasing books more convenient. As a lifelong bibliophile, I'm still waiting for something better to come along.
mlLK 17y ago
Still though, the shitty thing with Steam (or why Valve is so evil) is the fact that the customer can not act as a reseller if he/she is either unsatisfied with the game or is just tired of playing it. I don't really know what sort of model (subscription?) Steam has implemented here, but it appears very monopolistic and evil given the PC gaming market. http://www.digitalruin.net/node/55 http://www.digitalruin.net/node/55
- ElliotH 17y ago
  But on the other hand you do get some advantages in return for that sacrifice of your 'reseller' right. For example, the ability to use your game wherever you want, however many times you reinstall or whatever. Theres a real risk Valve or any company that controls your software could go bust - and then you'd be in trouble, but in my opinion Valve is more trustworthy than, for example, EA - since you can at least redownload your software and use it more than some fixed number of times.
  - steveklabnik 17y ago
    Valve has also stated that in this situation, they'll release the keys to the Steam servers.
- 17y ago

GavinB 17y ago

DRM isn't the main issue. Most book readers don't know or care about it particularly. Yes, eventually ownership products should be DRM-free, but raging about it from a moralistic standpoint isn't helping with the key issues. We need affordable, high quality readers with convenient, low priced books. DRM-free would be great, but if some DRM lets the transition happen more quickly, then so be it. Hulu, Steam, etc all show that DRM can be useful and create compelling products. I would also remind all web startup founders that the SaaS model is basically DRM. One of the major benefits of server-side code is that it is very hard to pirate. You don't "own" your instance of Basecamp, you just rent it. And there's nothing wrong with that.

tentonova 17y ago
You don't "own" your instance of Basecamp, you just rent it. And there's nothing wrong with that. Some might disagree. Personally I find SaaS to be a general business imposition with significant long-term costs in terms of lock-in, operational expenditure, and an inherently poor negotiating position with the vendor. I dislike required service contracts or yearly per-head licensing fees for the same reason. With more openly licensed software, a key differentiator is that we can choose to continue to use a previous version of the software, whereas if we cease paying for a service, we must migrate all operations, data, and training.
stcredzero 17y ago
the SaaS model is basically DRM. How is that DRM? With DRM, you have the machine in your hands, and yet you can't do what you want with it. If you don't have the machine, didn't pony up any money for it, then I don't see that you have a right to complain. Bits are not hardware, and hardware is not bits.
- GavinB 17y ago
  We're talking about audio files, ebooks, and software--it's all bits. The difference is just on whose drive the bits reside. "Digital rights management (DRM) is a generic term for access control technologies that can be used by hardware manufacturers, publishers, copyright holders and individuals to try to impose limitations on the usage of digital content and devices." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_rights_management http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_rights_management) The current best way to control access to software is to run some key components on the server side in the SaaS model. From a business perspective, it accomplishes the goals of DRM beautifully--because the DRM naturally flows from its purpose and structure.

motters 17y ago

I just bought my first electronic book recently in PDF format, without any DRM. As a "book person" I might consider getting an ebook reader at some point in the future, provided that the copyright/licensing issues are clarified and nobody is restricting what files I add or remove from the device. Retailers or publishers should not be able to remove or modify books on an ebook reader without the permission of the owner of the device/books. Personally I wouldn't knowingly purchase anything which contained DRM, although I realize that probably most consumers aren't as hardcore on these issues as I am.

flatline 17y ago

Many people - probably most - don't care. My wife buys new pop fiction hardbacks and gives them away when done reading them, she doesn't want to have the burden of the book to store somewhere or lug around. She used to throw them in the trash until I yelled at her about it and we gave a bunch to the library. The goal is to read the material cheaply and conveniently, not to own a copy of the material.

lukifer 17y ago
For some, it's the exact opposite: buying a copy of something you've already read, in order to lend it out or display it on your bookshelf. http://www.randsinrepose.com/archives/2009/08/08/the_book_stalker.html http://www.randsinrepose.com/archives/2009/08/08/the_book_st...
- Semiapies 17y ago
  This is why the focus on One True Model (book ownership or license rights) strikes me as a red herring.

dmoney 17y ago

I recommend reading the full speech: http://thevarsity.ca/articles/23855 http://thevarsity.ca/articles/23855

pragmatic 17y ago

My books/games are available for re-download anytime/anyplace. I can't lose my books/game disks. Half price products. (I can buy it again if I need to). I don't understand the problem. DRM == strawman?

oiuytgfhj 17y ago
Anytime? Or until your kindle breaks, or Amazon decide to stop offering the service. or your ebook supplier gets bought by a competitor and discontinues your device. Or they decide to introduce a new fee structure that you don't want to pay? Anybody notice any small print in their contracts where Amazon offer free, eternal downloads of books to any future device

pragmatic 17y ago

Another strawman, lending books. I've found over and over again that a book that I loan to someone, or one that someone loans to me, remains unread. Same with games. The game is changing under your nose. Major titles and books for cheap prices. Consumers win big. The practical result is that all producers of creative content are in a race to zero. I considered building an indy flash/silverlight game recently. But if you can get great AAA games for $5, how on earth can you compete with that.

pragmatic 17y ago

The Kindle supports small independent publishers: https://dtp.amazon.com/mn/signin https://dtp.amazon.com/mn/signin

pragmatic 17y ago

With the concern over carbon, isn't digital delivery of goods a win/win?

oiuytgfhj 17y ago
Not if it includes digital 'taking back' of goods you thought you owned - when your dealer decides to get out of the market, or change their business plan or you don't want to sign up for their next offering.